Spring seat



Patented Oct. 24, 1944 to Thompson Products Incorporated, Cleveland, Ohio. a corporation of Ohio Application March 10, 1943, Serial No. 478,619

9 (maints.v (01. 287-90) j This invention relates to a device adapted to provide a rounded projection on a recessed member.

Specically, the invention relates to a seaty adapted to center a spring load on a stud and 4v5 A still further object of theinvention is to permit tilting and rotation of the stud. provide e Spring Seal? in the form f a generally The invention will hereinafter be specifically bell-Shaped member With 'en annuler heed theredescribed as embodied in a spring seat for tie rod around having opposed abutment Shouldersjoints, but itshould bev understood that the in- Other and further objects of the invention will vention is not limited te such an embodiment in- :1o be apparent to those skilled in the art nom the aSmueh aS it is generally applicable to provide following detailed `description ofthe annexed a projection on a recessed member. I 'sheet of drawings which, b-y way of preferred In accordance with this invention a headed example only', illustrates one embodiment of the stud having a flat end with a central axial well, invention receives ,in the Well the pilot portion of a seat On the drawing: I member having an outturned bead engaging the Figure 1 iS e Side elevational VeW. With Darts yflat end of the stud around the well. 'I'he seat broken away and shown in vertical cross section, member has a fragmental` spherical dome prefof e lCie IOd joint having e Spring Seat according erably with a radius 'centered on a plane includi7o this inVentiOnt ing the face of the bead which engages the end Figure 2 is an enlarged Dien View 0f the Spring of the stud The dome. of the seat member is Seat of i'fhis invention f adapted to ride in a dimple or depression of a Figure* 3 is a Side elevational View 0f the spring-urged cup. The seat member of this in- Spring Seat 0f this invention vention is eiiective to. transfer the spring load As snoWn-On the* dra'wlng: 'l from the cup to the stud and at the same time 225 In Flgure 1 the reference numeral 'o desg' .permit universal movement of the stud relative naves generally a' vie rod end or joint having a to the cull p socket Il with a laterally projecting externally InA order that the seat devices of this invenvhroo'ooo stom orshonk I2 adapted for insertion tion can beused in twopositions, the pilot porm one roo' The socket I' hooa oyundnool boro tion is preferably formed to the same spherical cl3. oxoonding from the bottom .thereof ond vor' shape as the4 dome portion. The preferred demmavmg m a.fragmonva1 Sphenool b earmg Wan vice therefore is' a one-piece member composed 4' The boormg 'Wou '.4 oonvorgos inwardly to of a pair of less than hemispheres with an out- 'Ogd clrcular opomng 5 m the top of tho turned bead therebetween and with each hemisphere having a radius Centered on a -plane thThe socket Il has an internal shoulder I 6 1n passed through the Opposite face of the bead. e bottom end thereof yreceiving a closure dislf: Alternately, however, the pilot portion could be or plate n t-rea-ganst' The'end ofthe socket in the form of a cylindrical lug or one or both liplfltoctdls as at s to close the bottom spherical portions could have the radius thereof centered on the adjacent face of the bead or 40 uA ,Snr'gseggom on t-he dlk 'lnd a intermediate this adjacent face and the oppocyllndrical Skirt ties me ls-nlg an osha site face' i 11 of the cylindprfitrzalogere aan engagmg b e It is, then, an object of this invention to progli? has ,a top Wal] v22 with a unduemrrsi vide a device adapted forforming a rounded or dmpl 23 in the center' thereof p projection on o, recessed; van of* a Inembeif `A stud, designated generally by'the reference A furthe? Obieci" 0i ini? invention 1S to Dronumeral 25,A has a cylindrical shank portion 2B Ylde e deVlCe havlnge Pilot Portion for fitting projectingv freely through the circular .opening into the recess of a recessed member, a shoulder l5 and mor-ging into a conical portion 21.. The for botiolnlng `0X1 the member, and a Spherieal ,p small endof the conical portion 2T merges into dome 'having a vradius centered on the member- '50 an externally threaded cylindrical portion 28. A engaglng plane of the shoulder at the axial censteering avrmnot shown) is adapted to be seated ter of the p1lot portion. I on the conical portion 21 andheld thereon by A .still further object of this invention is to` means ofa nut (not shown) ythreaded onto the provide a generally ball-shaped device Withan end 28. i, `l annular lbead around the great circle thereof. '55 The stud 25 has a fragmental spherical head 29 A still further object of this invention `is to provide a spring seat useful in tie rod joints to center the spring load on the stud of the joint while permitting universal movement of the stud.

A cylindrical wall 3B of the member 33 sur# l rounds the cylindrical portion 26 of the studi. The stud is rotatable in the member 33 but `will carry the member therewith duringtilting;move-1'4 ments so that this member will tilt on vthe .bearing i wall I4 of the socket.

'-fIt will, of course,

In accordance with this invention aspringseat ri- 31 is provided between the stud 25 and the cup 20 to center the load of the spring i9 on thel stud.

The device 31, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3, is acne-piece generally ball-shaped member'with opposed spherical portions 38 which are less than hemispheres. These portions havean annular bead 39 therebetween. The bead-39 has opposed flat shoulders 4D on opposite sides thereof.`

The spherical portions 38 can have flat ends 4I as shown, or .the spherical continuity can be continued to provide rounded axial ends. 1

rThe spherical portion 38 adjacent a shoulder 4D has a radius R, as shown in Figure 3, centered on aplane containing the opposite shoulder 4D of the bead.. Thus each portion 38 isy actually less than a hemisphere since the center of the sphere is in spaced relation from the .base of the'sphere segment.' When the device 31 is assembled in the joint of Figure 1,2one dome portion or spherical segment 38 thereof serves as a pilot portion and is seated in the well 3l of the stud. The-shoulder 40' of the bead adjacent this pilot serving portion of the sphere segment is bottomed on the dat end wall of the stud. The othersphericalportion 38 ofthe device thus forms a true spherical projectionon the stud with a radius centered on the end Wall 30 ofthe stud. Since itis desired to have the well 3| centered on the axial center of the stud 2S, and since the bearing surfaces of the assembly are preferablysphere segments struck from radii centered on the endwall 30 at the axial center of the stud', the radius for the projecting spherical portion 38 of the device 3,1 will also'b'e at the axial center of the stud andcoi'nciding lwith the centers of the stud head 29, the inner face 34 of the bushing 33, the outer face 35 of this bushing, and

the bearing wall Hl of the housing.,- Thus when the stud is moved inthe housing, the device 31 moves therewith about the same," centeras all bearing surfaces of the assembly;

- The projecting portion '38 of ltl'iefdevice 31 rides in the dimple or depression 423"of the cup member. If they stud istilted'in the socket, the device 31 will move with the stud and it can freely ride in the cup memberllwithout depressing the cup.` "Ihe load of the spring la on the stud Will always be uniform vsince ther projecting portion 38 of the device 31'is a truevsphere .portion centered at the same point as all bearing surfaces of the assembly,l

, If fluctuations in spring load arenot critical the center'point for the projecting sphere portion 38 need not be the same as the center point of the bearing surfaces of the asser'nblyv and the radius for this portion 38 could be struck, .for example, fromv planes including.rv the .adjacent of Athis invention pose to limit the patent `than necessitated bythe scope -of the appended bead shoulder 40 up to and including the opposite bead shoulder 40. Such variations are especially useful when the centers of the bearing surfaces of the assembly are on such planes instead of on the end face 3U.

The portions 38 of the device 31 are identical and the device can be used in reversed position. ,y From Athe above descriptions it will be underfstobd that thefinvention provides a vgenerally ballshaped' member adapted for forming a rounded projection on the recessed end of a stud to center a spring load on the stud.

'be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide rangejwitliout departing from the principles and it is, therefore, not the purgranted hereon otherwise claims.

' I claim as my invention:

Al. Aseat comprising va generally ball-shaped member having an annular bead therearound l with opposed abutment shoulders, the portions of said member extending from each shoulder being iragmental spheres with radii centered from points lying in the planes of the opposed shoulders.

2. A spring seat ,comprising integral opposed fragmental spheres with an outturned bead therebetween, the sphere fragment adjacent each side of the bead having a radius centered on the opposite side of the bead.

3, A joint member including a socket having an internal bearing wall accommodating tilting movements and a stud having a head portion tiltable on said bearing wall ofthe socket, `theim'- provements of said head portion of the stud having an end wall with a recess therein, a separate member having a pilot portion seated in saidlrecess and a shoulderbottomed'on said endwall, said memberhaving 'a rounded dome depending from said-end wall, and a spring-urged cup in said socket having a rounded depressionreceiving said rounded dome of said member. y

4. In al joint assembly including a socket, a stud tiltable and rotatable in said socket,`and a spring-urged cup member in said socket, the ini-- provement of a separate seat member having a pilot portion extending into said stud, a shoulder bottomed on the end of the stud, and a rounded projection riding onV said spring-.urged member.

5. A tie rod end comprising a socket, a cup having an end wall ywith a rounded recess therein, a spring in said cup, a stud tiltable and rotatable in s aid socket, said stud havingv an end walll with a central recess, a separate member having a pilot portion seated in said recess, a shoulder bottomed on said end wall, and a rounded dome riding in said recessed-portion of the cup to center the spring load on the stud.V

6. In .a tie rod joint having a socket, a stud tiltable and rotatable in said socket, and ,a'springurged cup slidable in said socket, the improvement of a separate spring seat member between said `stud and said cup, said member having a rounded dome riding on said cup, ashoulder bottomed'on said stud and apilot portion projecting into said stud.

I 7. In a joint assembly including a socket having an internal fragmental spherical bearing wallpa stud with a fragmental spherical bearing `wall seated on said socket bearing wall, said stud having.l an end wall with a welltherein, and a spring loaded member in said sockethaving a. rounded depression, the improvement of a separate Lseat device transferring spring load from the member tothe stud, said device having a pilot portion seated in said well, a shoulder portion bottomed on said end Wall and a projecting spherical portion riding in said depression, and said Spherical portion having a radius point as the radii for said bearing Walls whereby Y the bearing Walls can move on each otherwithout changing the spring load.

8. The combination with a member having a recessed end Wall, of a device for forming a rounded projection on said recessed end Wall of the member, said device having a pilot portion for centered on the same fitting into the recess of the member, a shoulder for bottoming on the end Wall of the member, and a fragmental spherical dome lwith a vradius centered on the wall-engaging plane of said shoulder at the axial center of the pilot portion. 9. The combination with a stud having a recessed end, of a member having a pilot portion seated in said recess, an outturned shoulder portion engaging said stud around the recess, and a rounded dome depending from said shoulder portion to form a rounded projection on the recessed end of the stud.

MATTHEW P. GRAHAM. 

